Another day, another scratch in the $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1).
On Friday morning, a day before the Run for the Roses, Grande was scratched by Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarians. The official reason was a foot bruise.
There are no also-eligibles to move into the field, so when the gates spring open on Saturday (post time 6:57 p.m. ET), there will be 19 3-year-olds in the race rather than a full field of 20.
On Thursday, Rodriguez (Kentucky Derby betting odds 12-1) was scratched with a hoof bruise, and Baeza, the lone also-eligible, moved into the field.
The withdrawal of Grande (Kentucky Derby betting odds 20-1) means two-time Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher won’t have an entry for the first time in 21 years – he leads all trainers with 65 starters.
Rodriguez, who defeated Grande in the Wood Memorial (G2), is trained by six-time Derby winner Bob Baffert, who still has a horse in the race, Citizen Bull.
In addition, the scratches leave two of the world’s top jockeys without a Derby horse: three-time Derby winner John Velazquez (Grande) and two-time Derby winner Mike Smith (Rodriguez).
Grande is owned by Mike Repole, who, for the second time in three years, saw one of his Kentucky Derby entries scratched by vets just before the race. In 2023, early favorite Forte was scratched the morning of the race due to concerns about a bruised right front foot. That was the year in which five horses were scratched from the Derby, dropping a 19-horse field to 14.
Repole, one of the sport’s most outspoken owners, posted on X that he was “shocked and confused” by the decision. Repole, one of the featured people in the Netflix series “Race for the Crown,” posted that Grande had been battling a slightly cracked heel, but X-rays and a PET scan came back clean.
Unfortunately, the vets have decided to scratch Grande from tomorrow’s Kentucky Derby.
He has been battling a slight cracked heel this week which has been improving. To be cautious, Todd X-rayed on Monday and the horse had clean X-rays. On Wednesday, the state vets asked us if…
— Repole Stable (@RepoleStable) May 2, 2025
“To be cautious, Todd X-rayed on Monday, and the horse had clean X-rays. On Wednesday, the state vets asked us if we could do a PET scan, and Grande had that yesterday [Thursday], and it was also clean. He has been training and looking great on the track all week. The heel has improved throughout the week, and it also improved again this morning [Friday],’’ his post read.
“Unfortunately, the vets told us this morning they were scratching the horse despite the clean diagnostics. We were very confused with all the clean diagnostics and improvement all week, why did they rush to judgment to scratch today?”
Later in the post, Repole wrote:
“We all love these horses and our number one concern is the safety and welfare of these amazing Thoroughbreds. That is, and should always be the priority. With all the diagnostics we have taken, the great vets we use, and the experience of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, we are baffled and confused by what criteria vets are using to determine who scratches, who doesn’t and when…especially when every diagnostic tells us the horse is safe and sound.”
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
